


Breaking the routine

by Castielstrenchcoatisthebest



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Dating, Fluff, M/M, Mechanic Dean, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-04 07:28:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11550414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Castielstrenchcoatisthebest/pseuds/Castielstrenchcoatisthebest
Summary: Dean's life isn't exciting, to be clear, it's anything but. In the attempt of trying to change that, he seeks help of Benny and Charlie.They tell him to get a dog, but that isn't all he meets at the shelter. Cas is beautiful, exciting, and helps Dean to love life more. But love isn't one of the Winchesters strongest sides.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try and update the story as often as I can, which will be once a week, I'll also add more tags as I get more into the story. 
> 
> I hope you find the story interesting enough to follow it with me.

Dean’s life wasn't exciting. To be clear, it was anything but. He’d been working at the same garage for the last 5 years. And while he loved fixing cars — it was fun — not many people were as enthusiastic about it as him. 

He still enjoyed it. He never knew what problems a car might have, or what customer he would have to fight. He could get lost in the work, spending hours fixing something —something someone else might cherish. But they never appreciated it like he did, and they often returned without having felt the same pleasure as he did. Although parts of his job were exciting, it didn't make his whole life exciting.

 

He usually ate the same meals every week. It consisted of cheeseburgers, lasagna, fish, or a salad, whenever Sam bugged him about healthy eating. None of these meals were exciting, and they didn't make his life exciting.

 

He had friends, like Charlie, Benny, Lisa, Garth and Ash. Some of them were exciting. When they went out, they had exciting stories to tell. But Dean could only live on the wave of glory for so long, and soon the stories lost their zeal. Even though the small moments were exciting, the feeling never stayed.

 

But the lack of excitement in Dean’s life was mostly his own doing. If he wanted something to change, he had to make it happen. He knew he couldn’t just wait for something to happen, then nothing would. But what could he, the non-exciting person he was, do to make his life more — lively?

 

He figured out the first one really quickly: he had to lower his expectations. A lot of things could be exciting if he wanted them to. But he also needed to stop wanting to make his whole life exciting, that was putting too much pressure on himself.

 

After a week, he had come up with a list — finally, excitement. But as the thought crossed his mind, he cursed himself. He read through the list again and again. It wasn't for excitement, he realized, it was to improve his life, change it little by little to make the days count.  The list wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was a start. He looked at his scratchy handwriting:

 

_ Dean’s list to make his life better _

 

  * __Lower your expectations, everything can be exciting if you let it__


  * _Change your meals (they are fucking boring)_


  * _Find some new hobbies_


  * _Go out with your friends more_


  * _Start working out, you get a new routine_


  * _Don't do the same thing everyday and expect something to change_



 

 

It wasn’t a lot, but like he said, it was a start.

 

The first week went by okay. He changed his diet; vegetable soup instead of cheeseburgers on Monday, and chicken instead of lasagna on Tuesday. And he started to appreciate the little things, at least he tried to. It wasn't until Wednesday that he decided to get some help. His first thought was to call Charlie, so that's what he did.

 

“Hey Dean” Charlie said. She was always happy to talk to him, and was one of the most loyal people he knew. And because she was his self-declared sister, he knew she would know just what to say.

 

“Hey Charlie, are you busy tonight?” There was no point with small talk, he just wanted to get straight to the point. 

 

“No why? You want to hang out?” Charlie didn't need to be a genius to figure that out.

 

“Yeah, thought we could go to the Roadhouse, and bring Benny with us. I have a problem I need help with.” Oh god, he sounded so desperate when he put it like that.

 

“Yeah sure, I get off at 5, so we could meet then. I guess there isn't any chance you would tell me what it is before we get there?” Charlie tried to sneak some info out of him. But he couldn’t. This was too embarrassing to talk about over the phone — although talking in person may not be any better.

 

“No sorry, you'll have to wait. See you then, I'll tell Benny.” And then he hung up.

 

Charlie and Benny had been his best friends since high school, and he could tell them everything. Sam, his brother, was also one of those people, but with this situation, he would only be more worried about Dean.

 

Sam would read it as Dean not being happy. But he was happy, at least he thought he was. And then Sam would go all mother hen on him, pushing aside his studies to be with Dean (one of the downsides of having a future lawyer as a brother was the distance between them). 

 

They didn't see each other as much as the wanted to anymore. When they were growing up they had been inseparable. Dean had taught Sam everything he knew, and Sam had sucked it up like a towel. Now they only talked once a week and visited on the holidays. It still wasn't enough time with his little brother, if Dean was honest. 

So yeah, the right thing was to tell Charlie and Benny.

So he shot Benny a text:

_ Meet me and Charlie at the Roadhouse at 5. _

Not long after, he got a positive reply. 

 

~~~~~

 

It was only 30 minutes until they would meet up, so Dean flung himself down on the couch and watched some tv. He tried to think of what he would say, letting the words swirl around in his brain. He knew Charlie and Benny would understand, at least eventually, but he didn't know how to describe his problem. Their lives were never boring, and he had a small doubt that they wouldn’t relate to his predicament.

 

When the clock struck ten to five, he finally got up and went to his beloved car. 

 

The impala was an important part of his life. He had rebuilt her after his dad’s crash. Both his parents died that night. It had been so sudden, and then  _ he  _ had to be the one to look after Sam. That was seven years ago, with him having just turned twenty and Sam still in highschool. He hadn’t been a child, but having to take full responsibility for his sibling was not something he thought he was ready for. 

 

Luckily they had inherited the house and money after their parents, so money wasn’t a problem. It was the whole part of being responsible. As much as he might have feared the concept then, it turned out not so bad after all. And now Sam was grown up, and doing well off on his own. 

 

With one minute to spare, he parked his car in front of the Roadhouse. The diner was the place Dean and his friends always went after school, and then a few years later, after their long days at work. Ellen, who owned the place, was a second mother to Dean, and the Roadhouse was his home away from home. 

 

Charlie was already sitting in a booth when he walked in, and she waved as he stepped through the door. Dean walked over to her and sat down just as Benny walked in. 

 

“Hey brother. Redhead,” Benny said in greeting and nodded to the both of them. He took a seat beside Charlie and they both looked expectantly at Dean. 

 

“So, what have you summoned us for?” Charlie asked with a dire tone. She could always make everything sound dramatic. His heart began to thud faster as both of them stared. Why was his body doing this? There wasn't anything difficult about this conversation. 

 

“I need some help. Your lives are exciting, right?” Dean said, totally avoiding eye contact, “And mine is so boring I can't stand it at times, so I thought maybe you could help.” Dean hesitantly glanced up.

 

“Help? With making your life more exciting?” Benny asked.

 

“Yeah,” was all Dean could say. 

 

“You know Dean, our lives really aren't that exciting. We just don't talk about the hours of paying bills, or grocery shopping. But sure, anything to help,” Charlie answered with a smile. 

 

“Okay, thanks.” Dean let out a sigh of relief. They would help him. And she had even admitted that their lives weren’t spectacular either.. This could mean that his life was better than he had first thought.

 

“What exactly do you need help with though?” Benny asked. And this was the million dollar question, because even Dean didn't know the answer. 

 

“Breaking out of my routine I guess. I do the same things all the time, eat the same things…” he trailed off, “I just need something to change. Not a whole new routine, just something that will make it easier to break out of this habit,” Dean said. Their eyes were locked on him as he talked, and once he had finished, they looked at each other. 

 

A dangerous smile spread over Benny's face, and Dean prepared himself for the worst. But his friend just smiled and said, “What you need my friend, is a dog.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updating a little late, but here it is.

A dog. The great idea Benny had come up with was a dog. As both of them had explained the idea it made sense, but he was still unsure.

A dog would have to make him exercise more, as one of the points on his list had said. The dog would get him out of the house. He would have a friend to come home to, and a lot could happen with a dog in the house. Something that would make him spontaneous.

After thinking it through a thousand times, he had finally decided that he would get a dog. Money or time wouldn't be an issue, and the garden was big enough for the dog to run in when he was at work. He just had to install a hatch in the back door, but that was something he would do when he found the dog he wanted.

After work the next day, he would drive down to the shelter and find a dog. Charlie had specified that if he were to go through with the plan, he had to get a dog from the shelter. There were far too many dogs down there, and Dean had to help if he could. It wasn't a problem agreeing to her term.

~~~~~

On Thursday he woke up, and went to work. The day went by slow. He kept thinking about the dog he was gonna get, and even the bickering with his colleagues, the pressure of having too many cars to go over, or the customers frequent questions couldn't take his mind of it.

Finally, but no soon enough, the day was over. He rushed home, took a shower to wash off all the grease and drove straight to the shelter.

The shelter was a nice building with lots of animal posters hanging outside. The inside was a bit similar to the outside, as it was also covered in posters. The first one he saw was a kitten roaring, and it made him smile. There were different doors along the walls leading to different sections with animals, and a desk in the middle of the room. Chairs were lined up against the walls, but Dean ignored them in favor of the desk.

One thing the outside didn't have that the inside did, was a beautiful, dark haired, man standing behind the desk.

The man looked up at Dean as he made his way over. “Hello” The man said. His voice went straight to Dean's bones and made his insides giddy.

“Hey” Dean answered. “I was thinking about adopting a dog.” He said. Was that the right thing to say? Was there something to fill out before or did he just pick out a dog and go home?

“Yeah, sure, I'll help you.” The man said. Okay, he would get help, it was gonna be okay. It wasn't like him to be so nervous when meeting a cute guy, but this man obviously didn't care about how he affected Dean.

“Do you have any particular dog in mind?” He asked. To be honest, Dean didn't know what he was doing.

“Ehh, no. I'm actually new to this so I need all the help I could get.” Dean smiled while his cheeks went a soft pink color.

“Good for you I'm an expert.” The man smiled. “When we go in, just sit outside some of the cages, ignore the dogs and just let them get to know your scent. That way you will see some of their personality.” The man went out from behind the desk and led Dean to one of the doors on the right.

“You may have to come back here again before you decide who you want to bring home, but I'll be here waiting for you.” The man winked at Dean, and of course his body would betray him with making his cheeks red once again. “By the way, I'm Cas.”

“I'm Dean.” He said back and followed the man, Cas, into the room with all the dogs.

The sound was overwhelming once he went inside. The dogs were barking and jumping against the cages, obviously glad to have some human company.

He sat down in the middle of the room, and Cas sat down opposite him. He could feel the heat radiate of the man, and wished he could bring him closer.

There was a dog in every cage. All of them different. Some were young, and some were old, some was just sleeping while most of the dogs were sitting in front of their doors.

At the left to Dean was a brown dog that immediately caught his eyes. The dog was sitting calm in front of it's doors, clearly excited about a new person, but still insecure. The dog seemed like it would be perfect for Dean once he got to know him.

“You see anyone you like?” Cas looked around the room, and smiled to a couple of the dogs he knew.

“Yeah actually, that one.” Dean pointed at the brown dog.

“That's Gunner. He is 3 years old, and has been here some time now. Although I don't understand why because he is one of the cutest dogs in here.” Cas said and went over to the cage to pet him.

“What happened to him?” Dean moved closer to the cage. And as he did that their thighs touched, and Cas shot Dean a shy smile.

“His last owners had a kid, and the kid was allergic, so they gave him to us.” Cas told him. It was good the dog hadn't been treated badly. “He loves people, and are really energetic if he wants to be. It's a shame they had to give him away.”

Dean looked at Cas. He was clearly passionate about his job, and knew a lot about the dogs that lived here. Although that might have been a job requirement.

“Can I pet him?” Cas nodded and took a hold of Dean's arm. He guided him slowly towards the cage, until he touched the soft fur. He was pretty sure that was a thing he could have done by himself, but he wouldn't say no to an opportunity to touch the man.

“Have you had a dog before Dean?” Cas had now opened the cage and Gunner was sticking his head out carefully.

“No, never had the chance. My brother wanted one when he was a kid though. And you, Cas? Have you taken one of these dogs with you home?”

Gunner was now slowly crawling out of his cage. He wasn't as shy as most shelter dogs, but he hadn't had the horrible background either.

“No, I'm not much of a dog person. I mean, I love all the animals here, but I prefer cats, they are much simpler. Besides, my apartment building don't allow animals, so even if I wanted one it wouldn't have been possible.”

“So you make up for it in working here?” Dean found himself curious to learn more about Cas. After he had adopted a dog, if nothing had happened, he would definitely ask him out.

Cas grinned as he looked at Dean. “I guess you could say that.” He's eyes remained on Dean's the whole time he talked. Even when Gunner nudged his head against Cas arm was he looking. It was like a spell.

It wasn't broken until Gunner decided he had been neglected for long enough and barked. Dean reached out his hand and scratched him behind his ears. Gunner walked closer to him and started sniffing his shirt.

“I guess he likes me, huh?” Gunner’s nose was tickling his stomach, and it was right before he started laughing.

“Yeah, he does. He's a lot more trusting than the other animals in here. I think you two will get along.” Cas took a hold of Gunner’s collar and lead him carefully back inside the cage.

Ha smiled at Dean again and stood up. He then proceeded to reach his hand out for Dean to take, and his day couldn't have gone better.

His thoughts carried him away and Cas had to grab his hand himself because Dean had been too distracted by his fingers. Again, his cheeks went red, but it wasn't his fault for thinking about what those fingers could be used to when they were right in front of him. He was only human.

He got his feet under him, but didn't let go of Cas's hand. If he had plans of asking him out, he might as well figure out if he was interested. There had been to many uncomfortable accents with straight men, and Dean had learned to take his precautions.

To his amusement, Cas only looked down at their intertwined hands, and led them to the same door they got in through.

“So, you want to get to know Gunner better? If this goes well, you can take him home in no time.” Cas had walked behind the desk again and they were no longer touching, to Dean's disappointment.

“Yes, he seemed really cool.”

“Oh, he is. Just wait till you go on a walk with him.” Cas smile told him that there was more to Gunner than what met the eye. Although, he had a feeling the same went for Cas. “If you come by tomorrow too, you can take him for a walk. I also have to check your background.”

“Oh, yeah okay I guess.” That was something Dean wasn't expecting. It wasn't like he had anything to hide, but he had thought the process would be easier than this.

As if seeing Dean's unease Cas kept talking. “ It isn't very thorough, just enough to make sure you're not going to mistreat him. We want them to have a safe home where they can live the rest of their life. They come from a bad background, so we don't want it to happen again.” At this explanation his tense shoulders fell back at ease.

“And, you know, I might have to come to your house and check it. Just to make sure it's okay for Gunner.” Hadn't Dean seen the smirk on Cas face, he'd thought he really was sincere. But not anymore.

That was the sign. Dean was now sure that he would be asking Cas out, if what Cas already had said couldn't be counted for an invitation.

“Yeah, that could be smart. And I got a pretty big house, it could take some time to go over it. Maybe I could make us dinner?” Dean was playing along with Cas now.

“Yes. That sounds like a good idea.” Cas leaned over the desk and his blue eye captured Dean's.

“What do you say about Saturday? I can make lasagna?” Yes, Dean knew that was one of the meals he was changing. But it was also one of the meals he was best at cooking, and that weighed up for it.

“Okay Dean, I look forward to it. Don't forget to come by tomorrow.” Cas was now smiling, and it was one of the most beautiful sights Dean had ever seen.

His dark hair was tousled from him running his hand through it while they had talked. And as he smiled, his eyes looked down at the table, as if he were shy. And for once Dean wasn't the only one with read cheeks.

“I wouldn't dream about it. Bye, Cas.” He turned around and headed for the door as Cas said goodbye too.

He pulled at the door and walked through it, the only problem was that it was a push door. As it said on the sign. Dean stumbled backwards after the door wouldn't let him through. And as he tried to walk out again, this time successfully, he heard Cas snicker behind him. He didn't dare turn around in fear of humiliating himself further.

In one day he had managed to find a dog, get a date, and embarrass himself in front of said date. Even if that wasn't exactly what he had hoped for, his life already started to get exciting. 

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to hear what you think so far.
> 
> Say hi to me on Tumblr


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